Born in Jefferson, Ohio, Theodore E. Burton graduated from Oberlin College and became a prominent Cleveland attorney. He was elected to Congress in 1888 and served from 1889-91, 1895-1909, and 1921-28. He was elected U.S. Senator in 1908 and 1928 and was a leading contender for the U.S. Presidency in 1916. Due to his work in saving Niagara Falls from development and his opposition to wasteful waterways projects, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Burton chairman of the Inland Waterways Commission in 1907 and the National Waterways Commission in 1909. Burton is credited with pushing legislation through Congress that authorized the construction of the Panama Canal and negotiating agreements to ensure its neutrality. He lobbied to fight wasteful spending and influence of big business and sponsored the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890. As president of the American Peace Society, Burton hosted the First World Conference on International Justice in Cleveland in 1928, attended by 13,000, including world leaders.

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Thomas Hurst (1806-1861), who settled in Dover Township after 1830 and began a successful sheep farming operation, erected the brick house on Dover Farm in 1838 as the center of the 3,500-acre farm. The first English settler in Dover Township, Hurst came from Northamptonshire as a prosperous and experienced farmer. For years, Dover Farm was one of the largest farms in the county. The house, a classic example of Greek Revival architecture, was probably built by the Leneghen brothers, who erected Stone Eagle Farm, the residence of brother William Hurst that stands a mile west of here. Thomas H. Hurst, son of the original owner, lived here until 1894. The house is pictured in 1874 atlas of Cuyahoga County and was recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey in 1936. From 1900-13 Dover Farm was the country residence of U.S. Senator Theodore E. Burton. The house was previously a nursing home, then abandoned, and was restored in 1998-2002.